The Wonder of the Church

Yesterday I was thinking about how God chooses to make Himself known through us, through the Church. How, as creator of all, all powerful, all knowing, King over all, He chooses to make Himself known through a bunch of sinners. 


First, we see in Christ the unthinkable, that God would come to earth and become man!


(NIV)Philippians 2:6-8
"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; [7] rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. [8] And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death---even death on a cross!"


Even more amazing, I think is the fact that Jesus then left the Church, His Bride, entrusted into the hands of men. I see great humility in God, even allowing His name to be associated with us, allowing us to be His representives, especially with our propensity to screw things up. As Paul writes in Ephesians:


(NIV)Ephesians 3:8-12
"Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, [9] and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. [10] His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, [11] according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. [12] In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence."


Lord, what an amazing and unthinkable plan, eternally purposed and accomlished through Jesus, to entrust Your manifold wisdom to man, to the Church, that through us this wisdom might be made known, might be proclaimed, might be shown to all rulers and authorities, even in the heavenly realms.


Lord, we pray that we might truly represent You to the world!  We trust Your plan, but we know we are woefully incapable of doing this on our own!